‘Without doubt unduly lenient’ – Romford paedophile whose victim was branded ‘predatory’ has sentence increased

A paedophile who walked free from court after his 13-year-old victim was branded “predatory’ has today been ordered to serve a two-year jail sentence.

Three judges at the Court of Appeal in London ruled that the non-custodial term originally handed out in the case of Neil Wilson, 40, formerly of Romford and now living in York, was “plainly and without doubt unduly lenient”.

A sentence of 12 months, suspended for two years, was handed out to Wilson in August after he admitted engaging in sexual activity with the child, as well as offences of making indecent images of a child and offences of possession of an extreme pornographic image.

A row broke out shortly after the case was heard at Snaresbrook Crown Court when it emerged that prosecuting barrister Robert Colover had labelled the young girl “predatory” and “sexually experienced”.

Attorney general Dominic Grieve referred the sentence given to Wilson to appeal judges to decide if it should be increased.

The Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas and two other judges quashed the suspended sentence and ordered Wilson, who was not present in court, to surrender to police in York by 6pm tonight.